Anything For You
by iPwnNano
Summary: Spice and Wolf:: Lawrence and Horo have finally arrived at the North. But for some reason...Lawrence is less than happy about it.


**A Spice and Wolf fiction.**

It would only be another day until they reached Horo's homeland. Lawrence was already able to see the ghostly colors of the northern lights off in the distance. Falling snowflakes gently fluttered around them like twinkling stars as they traveled by cart. Once in a while, Lawrence would listen to Horo's commentary on the changing scenery. But each time she did, his mind wandered away to those days where they were anywhere but here. It seemed the sun traveled across the sky much quicker these past days. And Lawrence was irked by every moment of it. 

When they finally stopped for the night in a forest clearing, Lawrence began to set up the camp. Once he did so, he leaned his body against a nearby boulder with Horo curled up on his lap. He caressed her head with his hands while she wordlessly nuzzled her head against his lap. It was the way the two companions had always slept when spending their nights under the starry sky. A special bond between two beings of completely different worlds. 

"I told you didn't I? The stars are much beautiful and charming up here," Horo said gleefully in a soft voice. Lawrence realized she was talking about the North. It seemed like yesterday since Horo requested him to escort her there. Now that they were only a day away, he found himself becoming even more vexed. 

He would no longer be able to cradle her head against his body just as he was right now. 

He would no longer be able to comfort her whenever she became lonely. Besides, how could she become lonely now? She would be reunited with her friends and family (if they were still around) soon enough. 

Those nights where they spent at inns, he would no longer be able to pull the covers over her if she kicked them off, or even brush away the brown locks of hair that covered her face. He could no longer whisper words of comfort and assurance in her ear when she woke from a nightmare, to remind her that everything was going to be all right. 

He would no longer feel the warmth of her soft hand in his, while they strode the streets of several towns and cities. He would no longer hear her rich and vibrant voice when she laughed and teased. He would no longer see her grooming that tail of hers whenever she got the chance, or feel the weight of her sly and mischievous eyes gazing at him. Those dangerous journeys together, Horo would no longer be by his side. 

She would no longer be the death of his wallet. 

Scrunching his eyebrows together, Lawrence felt himself becoming more disheartened, unconsciously ignoring Horo's comment. His body tensed under all these thoughts. But despite his realized grief, he felt a small hand brush against his own. Glancing down, he found Horo staring at him with bright ruby eyes. 

"What is it?" Lawrence asked quickly, "Wolves? Bandits?" He watched Horo remove herself from him and was now sitting straight up. "Horo?" he said, confused. 

"Why are you…?" Horo's strong voice trailed off, "So restless?" 

It was inevitable, Lawrence knew, that his miserable mood would not go unknown when dealing Horo. "It's nothing. Just thinking about the big day tomorrow and about your debt to me…" In all truth, Lawrence could care less how much of his money Horo had consumed right now (which was more than he could count). But he toyed with the idea of using debt to delay Horo's departure. 

Giving him a stern stare, Horo huffed proudly. "Heh, don't think I'm so ungrateful that I would simply forget something as heavy as debt." Her eyes flickered with declaration over the glowing ambers that flew from the fire pit and by her face, giving a dramatic effect. "I'll have it to you before we get there." 

"Oh? Do you really have the money to make up for _all_ those purchases I made for you?" Lawrence grinned wryly, "Can you even count that high?" 

The wolf goddess's eyebrows knitted together as she growled at him, "Don't test Horo the Wise with your petty insults. I'm going--no, I _will _pay my debt off before I _leave_!" She flashed a lengthy canine at him before turning to look at the glowing moon stubbornly.

Although she meant no real harm, Lawrence felt a stab through his chest at the word 'leave'. He felt like slapping and cursing himself for such selfish thoughts. After all, it was thecontract' they made when he found her sleeping his cart that night, oh so long ago. Since then, he hated himself for being captured by her very presence and being. He hated that he was victim to her playfully erotic nature. He hated that he indulged himself with the privilege of getting to hold her every night. 

But at the same time, he loved every moment of it. 

After a long silence, Lawrence finally slid onto his back to lie on the soft, earthy ground. He quietly whispered. 

"Goodnight Horo." 

There came no response, only the melodious singing of crickets. For a moment, Lawrence had thought Horo had fallen asleep herself. He decided he would too. 

"Fool! Get up!" 

Or not. 

Snapping wide-awake again with a ringing in his ears, Lawrence sat up obediently. "What?" he asked, attempting to sound annoyed. Horo glared at him, but at the same time, was staring at him with awe. 

"You're such a…" Horo let out an annoyed growl, "A stupid softy!" she was staring at Lawrence expectantly, trying to get a message across. 

Unfortunately, Lawrence didn't live up to that expectation. "What?" 

Horo trudged on, "You're being so selfish, yet you don't say anything about it!" 

"If I were to be so selfish at this point in our journey, wouldn't it be infuriating?" Lawrence argued back. 

"But to say nothing about it, is even more infuriating!" Horo huffed. 

"Horo…" he softly said as he stared into her distressed face. "The only selfish thought I have is getting my money back…" 

Horo glared, "You're practically begging me to say: 'Oh Lawrence, tell me that you don't want me to leave. Pleeasse.'" She made a sickened high-pitched voice on the last word. 

"…" Was all Lawrence could say. 

"Fool." 

"But you're happy now, right? It doesn't matter what I think." Lawrence responded, looking away. There, although it was an indirect confession, he had now let Horo know that he didn't want her to leave. 

Suddenly, he felt Horo's own body crept closer to his. She was gazing wordlessly into his eyes with wistful look. 

"You're such a softy," she instantly said, "a stupid one too." 

"Horo-" There was nothing but the silence of the ghostly moonlight cascading its entrancing glow upon the earth below it. Crickets chirped and toads croaked their simultaneous lullabies as the wind whistled through the trees. A song that was not so often heard. 

Lawrence found himself being pressed against the boulder he was once resting on. Eye wide, he felt his heart race as the woman in front of him pressed her lips further into his own. Due to habit, the young merchant responded by wrapping his arms around her, pulling Horo's lean and slender body into an embrace more intimate than their usual, tenderly light-hearted ones. Lawrence thought of nothing else, except for the way Horo perfectly fit against him and the warmth of their kiss. 

A few minutes later, the wolf girl immediately broke away and quickly gasped for breath. Lawrence stared speechlessly to see that her face was turned so that he couldn't see her expression. Slowly, he reached out and ran his hand over her cheek, eventually cupping her face so he could see her. 

"Do you really intend on letting me go after that?" she asked softly, a pink color rising timidly across her face. 

"But we're nearly there already." Lawrence responded. Horo withdrew herself from his hand and buried her face into his chest. 

"I want to see my homeland. I want to see how much has changed ever since I left. I want to see my friends and family" Horo said quietly, "But _who_ I want to be with is you."

Lawrence said nothing else. He only smiled with one thing running through his mind. 

_Anything for you._

_

* * *

ipwnnano101:_ I'm no good at writing romance, but it was worth a shot. I found the ending a bit anticlimactic though... 

Hmm, some thoughts on this anime: I was really expecting a fantasy-actioned oriented plot with kickass wolf girls or something. But instead, I got ...economics. .

Oh well, I still love this anime and hoping they make a second season for it.


End file.
